FAQs

We are in room B7B in the basement of the engineering building on CSU main campus, just south of the intersection of Meldrum and Laurel. Google Map.

What are the hours of the I2P Lab at CSU?

The I2P Lab is open from 10 am to 5 pm weekdays. During the summer we are open from 10 am to 2 pm on weekdays. We are closed weekends and CSU holidays.

Do you have to be an engineering student to have access to the lab?

No, anyone can have access to the I2P Lab if they take the required training workshop. To use the printers, you must also pay the lab fee.

What does the certification process look like in order to operate the printers?

There is a 1.5 hour safety training workshop you will need to attend in order to use the FDM printers. You can sign up here and find more info here

What is the cost of using the equipment?

There is a lab fee required and users need to supply their own material, which can be purchased from RamTech in the Lory Student Center.

What is the cost of materials used in printing?

It ranges from $0.12 per meter to $0.87 per meter depending on filament type and user group. Our SLA printers use a specialty photopolymer that costs about $1.40 per gram.

How do I determine how much material my part will use?

A fast and easy way to estimate is to use your favorite software tool to determine the volume of the part, then assume 1cm^3 is approximately 1 gram. Filament is about 6.7g/m for 3mm diameter filament, and 2.5g/m for 1.75mm diameter filament. A more accurate estimate can be found by loading your mesh into the slicing software, then host software, or by using a .gcode preview tool, such as gcode.ws.

Would a hexagonal infill pattern be stronger or use less material than a grid infill?

We have read (like here) that honeycomb is the strongest and fastest infill to print with. But you have to use Slic3r, Cura 2, or Makerware to get it. The basic Cura version we use much of the time doesn’t have the algorithm to do it.

If hexagonal is better, can I use Slic3r to create the g-code and print it on a Lulzbot mini without too many issues?

In order to do this, you will want to download a printer profile (www.lulzbot.com/mini-cura-profiles) for the printer and material you are using, and then match the settings the best you can in Slic3r. It may take a few tries, but tbh I have found Slic3r to be a better algorithm anyway, Cura is just easier to use, which is why we have gone with that in recent years.

What percent infill would be best to achieve relatively high strength without being solid (to save on printing time)?

This article has some really neat quick trial data you can look into. Rule of thumb is for most things we print, 50% infill is plenty. Strongest we usually go is 85% and we have printed 0% hollow parts many times but mainly for show.

I don’t see my question answered here!

Visit our tutorial videos page for help on basic concepts covered in our lab training. For a more thorough walk though, access the “read me” file located on the desktop of each of our lab computers. If you need further help, don’t hesitate to contact us by phone, email, or directly in the lab.